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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

updating status

* California Poppy needleturn applique

Well, I finally got this one finished on October 7th. I must admit that I wasn't truly enthused about completing it, as I thought the kitted fabric for the flowers wasn't showing off the petals nicely enough. I seem to remember the shop sample as being much more distinctive ... but then they probably used different fabrics.

I feel very pleased with the needleturn applique.

In any case, it's done and is probably going to stay in this form for foreseeable future, as I don't really have any inclination to do anything more with it.

* Continuing with the hexie quilt

Progress continues on this project. I have a whole project case full of prepped hexies that now need to be stitched together. If I tire of the flowers, there are interminable green background hexies to make. And if I need anything else different to make, there are the partial green hexies to make for the edges.

So, this project is going to be around for a while. I find this hexie project surprisingly satisfying, mainly, I believe because I'm using HUGE hexies ... they are 3-1/2" from top to bottom, so they fill up a lot of real estate fairly quickly. I might not be so enthused about this project if the hexies were small.

* All That Glitters

I had been making great strides in this project: the top was finished on October 19th. I thought about how to quilt it for a couple more days. The quilting wasn't entirely intuitively obvious .. or at least, I didn't want to fall back on something tried-and-true, since I kinda wanted to do a motif that was new and different to me.

I finalized the quilting designs in all the different areas of the quilt, got the batting and the backing, then loaded the whole shebang onto the frame. I even started the quilting (the circular feather shown in the photo on the left in green) and was feeling pretty doggone good about it.

Then .... it was put on hiatus.

I got the phone call that I have been expecting for the past 5 or 6 years: my Dad finally died. It was October 24 at 7:22am. He was 90 years old and died peacefully in his sleep in his home.

He had his 3rd stroke in 2005 and it was really bad. He never really recovered from it. When he realized that he was never going to regain his mobility nor his independence, he just gave up. There was absolutely nothing I could do to cajole, encourage, bribe, nag, or convince him otherwise.

His end had been a long time coming and, ultimately was a relief. He had no quality of life and was really just waiting to die to join my Mom. Other than the standard plethora of pills that he was taking for this, that and the other, he had not been hooked up to any machines nor medications. But his body finally gave up and I'm very, very sure he is now exceedingly happy.

Once a week since 2005, I had driven to his house to visit and then later on, to also pay his bills. It will feel very strange not to make that weekly trip. We had his memorial service and Celebration of Life yesterday. Those events are supposed to provide closure and finality; I'm not entirely certain that it has. I feel I should have done "more" for him but in what way, I have no clue. Rest in peace, Dad. I love both you and Mom.